


Worlds of 'What If's

by Spotteh



Series: Worlds of 'What If's [1]
Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-25
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-01-20 17:46:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1519634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spotteh/pseuds/Spotteh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Emily Jane had been found by her father? What if she hadn't spent those years alone with Typhan? What if she lived a happy life with her father? What if she had a place to call home? What if she was there when her father was chosen to guard the prison? What if? What if? What if?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

For a year, she'd waited. Emily Jane Pitchiner had been alone one whole year in the depths of space with no one to keep her company but the golden star fish and the old blind constellation, Typhan. And yet, over all that time, she'd never given up hope. Every morning, she woke on her little moon and gave her adoptive father a 'good morning' before heading straight to her array of telescopes. In the beginning, she'd only had one. It was small and ornate, meant for decoration rather than use, but she'd kept it all the same. It had been a gift from her father which was the only reason she'd had it that day. Here in the emptiness of endless stars and blackness, it was all she had left of a world that was now shattered. Everyday she would sit on a stone not far from a shambled camp made of wood and tattered cloth. She would sit for hours at a time with her little telescope, watching the stars for the ship she longed to see the most. She would speak with the star fish that swam around the constellation, interrogating them for any detail they might have on her father. And every night, she would curl up on a pile of rags for a bed with her telescope tucked safely to her body. Some nights Typhan would tell her stories from before the Dream Pirates extinguished his eyes, his loud booming voice shaking the air around her, but most were filled with a longing silence.

Two weeks after first arriving on her little moon, she spotted the first ship. It was nothing more than a blot on the horizon, a speck of existence passing before the glow of far away stars. Emily's heart jumped wildly at the sight. Was it him? Had he finally come? Had he finally found her? She called for Typhan, telling him that a ship had come on the horizon. Though the old constellation was blind, he could sense the girl's unbridled excitement as she bounced across the pale surface of the moon. Her hope peaked and she wanted nothing more than for that ship to be the beautiful flag ship that her father personally commanded.

"Friend of foe?" Typhan asked, though his voice only a whisper, it still rang loud enough to make the air shiver. She pulled her scope to her eye once more, leaning forward as though that would let her see the far away ship better. Though the ship was closer now, it's details were still indistinguishable. She was forced to wait until it came even closer as her telescope had very little power. Slowly but surely, the details came into shape. The strong bow sharp and barbed, the color of fear in the night. No. It was not her father's flagship. It was a ship belonging to the very creatures that had stolen everything important from her. A rage sprang up in her towards the Dream Pirates who undoubtedly captained it.

"Foe!" She howled and Typhan destroyed the foul ship with a gust of celestial winds.

For several months, things continued this way. She would spot a ship far in the distance, her hope would rise in her chest only to be replaced by rage when she saw that it was an enemy rather than a friend. With every disappointment that she faced, a small bit of that rage settled close to her heart as to steel it for the next one. Once the ships were destroyed, she'd hop upon her tiny schooner and make her way through the remains. Emily would pick them over for anything that might serve useful and check for any survivors. She quickly collected an array of telescopes of all sizes and designs, along with many other treasures. Plundered clothes became hers, those she could fit into at least, and those she couldn't, she used to decorate her little camp site. Food of all sorts came through as well, ranging from the vilest gruel to the fine delicacies that only a Tsar should eat. Maps and charts of constellations and planets piled high and she soon had enough to rival her own father's collection. Any gold, silver, or other valuable items she would carry deep down into the moon's hollow core so that no one would ever find it. To leave treasure in plain site would be an act most foolish in this dangerous galaxy. When she was not picking through the littered wood and broken remains left by the Dream Pirate's dark ships, she sailed with the star fish around Typhan's enormous body, being sure never to go too far. Though, for much of her time, she stayed and watched and waited. She waited for that regal golden ship to appear on the horizon and her noble father to come and take her away from this awful moon. And yet, the only ships that came were those belonging to the enemy.

After six months, Typhan could feel a deep sadness and longing growing well within her. It was natural, of course, and one that was similar to one he'd felt before. However, this sadness bode dark and deep and sang out that it would not be leaving anytime soon. This sadness was one that sat within for far too long and could bring the greatest and mightiest to their knees in tears and even to death. This was a sadness he wished not to see in his new-found 'daughter'. It would seem that waiting and hoping so long for someone whom she'd heard nothing of was harming her more than he'd thought. So he began to teach her the powers only the constellations possessed. At first it was difficult, she'd fallen into her habits, lacking desire to do anything else as well as the focus to learn. But as she learned what he had to offer, she found she had quite an affinity for it and grew to love it. Three months later and she could summon small storms and gusts of wind to do her bidding. She was not very good at it, but she enjoyed it all the same. Skill would come with practice and that could come later. For now, she was happy and that was enough. For hours, he would summon larger gales and more powerful storms for her to ride in her little schooner. If only to hear her laughter and drive that horrible sadness away. He was her father now. He could make up for everything that had happened and he was determined to make sure he did.

This was not a sentiment Emily Jane shared. Though Typhan had done much for her and she appreciated it to no end, he was no father. A teacher, a good friend, a wise adviser and a wonderful listener. But a father? No. She looked up to him, but still she waited for that ship to come.

It had been a year now. A year of waiting. A year of watching. A year of scavenging and hoping and surviving. The sun peeked over the horizon of her small moon and her tent lit up with light. The inside glowed with an assortment of bright colors. From under a pile of cloth, Emily Jane stirred. The girl had never been a graceful riser and emerged from beneath her pile with a rather loud groan, her thick hair looking as though a rat had spent the night in it. She stumbled to her feet blearily and made her way out through the flap of tarp she used as a door.

"G'morning, Typhan." She said with a yawn. The surface of the moon was pale and bland, flat as could be and the color of sun bleached limestone. But there was a calm to it. It glowed in the sun and cast away most shadows. The emptiness could be boring at times but for the most part, it sang of peace and ease, the only sounds coming from nearby creeks. It was quite a change from the chaotic mess of ruined ships that floated just beyond the atmosphere.

"Good morning, Emily Jane." The great constellation rumbled. She made her way to the closest stream to wash her face. Had she what she needed, she would have brushed her teeth as well. However, she had yet to find a tooth brush among the ruins, though, she wasn't sure she wanted to. If she could get a clean one, she'd happily accept it. Emily hated the taste in her mouth every morning when she woke up. After sufficiently washing her face and her hands, she walked over to the store of food she kept behind the tent she slept in. All the food she found was kept in another large tent made of heavier fabric. The light wasn't allowed in and it often kept a lower temperature than the rest of the moon. It was wonderful to sit in it's darkness during the warmer parts of the days but it's main function was food so it lacked the comfort her sleeping tent offered. Just two days ago they'd destroyed yet another ship and she'd made quite a haul. But that was two days ago. The fresh meat had been cooked the night she found it and was now starting to turn sour. It wouldn't be long until she was forced to feed it to the star fish which lived nearby. The same for the fruits and vegetables. For now though, she chose a slice of ham, some bread, and a bright red apple for her breakfast. She sat on her rock as she ate, watching until she was done and even after that. The morning passed as normal. There was nothing in the sky, no signs of life besides herself and the star fish, so after lunch she boarded her little schooner and set to sail. She looped a rope around the fin of the head star fish as it made it's way through space and used the free time to question the others about her father. She never had to worry about them straying too far from Typhan. They weren't the boldest of creatures and had taken refuge from Dream Pirates in the great constellation's shadow just as she had. But also, they were her friends. They understood her desire not to leave and wouldn't leave her either. Some days, it seemed as though only the star fish understood her. But they never had any new information on her father. Where ever he was, whatever he was doing, he simply wasn't near enough for them to find him. With his duty to the army and the Tsars that ruled the Golden Age, it was possible that they were pulling him to the edges of the galaxy to fight in the war. They'd done it so many times already. But she knew that where ever he was, he was thinking of her and he would find her.

Late in the afternoon, Typhan had her practice the skills he'd been teaching her. She managed to summon nothing more than a small rain storm that the young star fish played in, riding the celestial winds that she commanded. It was tricky work as storms are wild things, but she managed all the same. She was getting better at this, much better in fact, but Typhan refused to teach her anymore. Should her father come for her, something he doubted greatly, he didn't want her to be able to create anything noticeable. By all rules, he really shouldn't have been teaching her in the first place. This was something that only constellations should know. However, he'd already placed a request that she be accepted as his daughter and allowed to learn. They were making him wait for a time before accepting, just to be sure that her father had indeed disappeared from her life. He doubted the young girl's family so much though that he saw nothing wrong with teaching her some small skills. Her father would not come and he would replace the other being. Then he wouldn't be so very alone.

For dinner, she started a small fire and set about ridding herself of the smoked turkey that was about to turn. Emily curled up on her rock once more, just outside of the light of the fire. She stared up at the stars between bites. The silence seemed eternal. It was neither sad nor tense. It was peaceful, an understanding that this was time for quiet. The only sounds came from the crackle of the fire. She sat for an hour, watching and waiting like she did every night, when something finally caught her eye.

"Ship!" She called to Typhan, so he would be prepared should it be an enemy. Through her most powerful spy glass, she could see the dark shape of a ship moving on the horizon. It was too far away to tell if it was friend or foe, but either way it was coming her way. She watched it like a hawk, perfectly focused on it's shape as it came closer. Slowly but surely, the ship took on a more defined shape and it became very clear just who's side it was on. The ship itself was a warm woody red, detailed with golds and blues. Huge white sails boomed to full size with the celestial winds that pushed it forward. And atop the highest mast waved a deep blue flag with a pure white moon across it, the sigil of the Lunanoffs. This ship belonged to the Golden Army. But which one was it? Her breath hitched as she leaned forward, desperately trying to read the ship's name on the side.

"Friend or foe?" Typhan asked. She didn't answer. The words were slowly coming into view. The looping letters were difficult to read but after seeing the first two, she needn't read any longer. She knew the ship. She knew the ship as sure as the sun rises and sets. She knew the ship. "Friend or foe?" Typhan asked once more. The girl had been quiet for too long and he worried for her. Just what had she seen?

It took her a moment to answer. She was simply too overwhelmed. "Friend." She just barely whispered. "It's a very, very good friend." If the constellation could see, he would have seen the most brilliant smile plastered across her face. A smile so bright that the girl was weeping with joy. Her father was here, he'd come at last! She always knew he would and now he was finally here!

She turned to watch her father through her spy glass as he came- wait. No. No! The ship was turning! It was leaving her! No no no! He didn't know she was here. She had to get his attention. Jumping down from her perch, she called for the star fish. The huge golden creatures swam around her eagerly, picking up on all of her energy. She quickly asked them to go and bring the ship here, giving her elaborate golden telescope to one of the fish as proof. They agreed, being almost as happy as she was at the news, and darted away as fast as their fins would take them. She clammered back aboard her stone, barely able to stay still as she watched through the telescopes.

The ship had already turned port when the fish arrived upon it. There was only one man on deck at the time, being as it had gotten rather late. At first he simply ignored the fish. A school of star fish swimming near the ship wasn't terribly unusual as they were very friendly creatures. It was when they began badgering him and interrupting his duty at the wheel that he got angry. He waved at them, undoubtably shouting some rather crude words that Emily shouldn't know, before coming to a sudden stop. He had the telescope. She could just see him turning it in his hands, inspecting it. She knew what he would find. She knew that he would see the words 'To My Greatest Gift' engraved on the side in swirling script and just what it meant. And he did. The helmsman struggled for what to do before turning the wheel hard towards her little moon, the boat practically tilting diagonal with the sudden jerk. Within moments of the action, men began popping onto the deck. One in particular came from just beneath the quarter deck, dressed in a stark white shirt and a deep red sash. Even from so far away, she could see that he walked with an undeniable sense of authority, tall and regal and also incredibly mad. He was on the man in an instant, chewing him out for the sudden change of course. The helmsman tried to explain but couldn't get a word in, the captain wouldn't allow it. It was as though he'd already been in a foul mood when he'd been rudely dragged up by actions he did not command. At last, the sailor simply thrust the golden object into the captain's face. The world stopped, for the man and for Emily Jane herself. She watched as her father carefully took the spy glass from the soldier, inspecting it as though he'd never thought he'd see it again. She wished he was already here so that she could hug him and never let him go. After what seemed like ages and just a second at the same time, he looked up at her little moon and it felt as though he was staring straight at her. The smile on her face only grew wider. Kozmotis broke the gaze and began shouting orders to the confused men on deck. The entire ship burst to life, all save the captain who was leaning on the railing as though he could make the ship move faster by sheer force of will alone.

"He's coming!" She let herself shriek, unable to keep it in any longer. She jumped off of her rock and raced around her little campsite. He was coming! He was here at long last! She would finally go home! She needed to get ready! But what did she have? Nothing but stolen goods that meant virtually nothing to her, not in comparison to finally getting her father back. She wanted to scream into the heavens, scream for all to hear, for all to understand her unbridled joy. And so she did.

"Emily! Emily! What is happening child? Who is coming?" Typhan needn't ask the question. He already knew exactly who was coming. He did not need to see to know what had made his hopefully-adoptive daughter so wildly joyful. He was coming. Her father. The one she had described time and time again during those long nights when the silent hadn't been so peaceful. But, while he was happy for her, he wished her father hadn't come. Emily Jane was to be his daughter. She was to keep him company in the vastness of space, to drive away that loneliness. He needed to hear the answer himself. He knew who was coming but only her saying it herself would solidify that fact. He would never take Emily Jane away from her father, but he had to be sure it truly was him. He simply wasn't ready to part with the girl just yet.

"Daddy! Daddy is coming!!" She shouted, picking through the clothing in her tent. She had an armful of cloth only to throw it back down again. It didn't matter. None of these things mattered! Her father had finally come for her and all she wanted was to feel his safe, warm arms wrapped around her again. She did the same with the books and the charts of stars. For all the knowledge they had given her, they hardly seemed to matter at all. At last, at long last, she was finally going home! The actions were little more than a distraction, a way to burn all that energy before it ripped her open. She had all the energy of a new star and could barely wait until her father arrived.

Fortunately, Kozmotis shared the same sentiment and the ship arrived within a few minutes. He could barely wait while they anchored the ship and lowered the gang plank, only to barrel down the wood seconds after it touched the pale ground of the moon. He stopped only for a moment to look for his little girl. When he spotted her, it made no difference for she was little more than a dark blur as she spend towards him. Emily Jane bowled into him with enough force to almost make him stumble, strong, fierce, and as wild as he'd remembered. She held onto him like he was the one and only thing keeping her from being sucked into a black hole and he did the same. He would never, ever let his little girl go ever again. A loud cheer came from the ship as his men leaned over the side to see what was going on. Neither of them even seemed to register it. Emily was shaking and clutching the back of his white shirt tight. She was crying and he knew that without having to look. He used his free hand to smooth her wild black hair and whispered in her ear.

"It's ok. Daddy's here. He's finally here. It's ok." His voice only made her shake harder but he just kept talking and calming her. "It's ok, my little gift. It's ok. We can go home now. We can finally go home."


	2. Chapter 2

Before they were able to leave the little moon, they first had to retrieve all the treasures that Emily had amassed from the Dream Pirate ships. She led a group of her father's men down into the hollow center of the moon where she kept most of the treasures she'd found on the ships. The sheer volume of it sent them into a shocked silence. Never had they seen so much all in one place. Her collection was rather small in comparison to what it could have become but all the same it consisted of at least a dozen chests of gold and jewels, more sets of dishes than any one man could count, enough elaborate gowns to dress a small ball, and enough works of art to easily fill two salons. And the core wasn't even a quarter of the way full! When one of the men asked just how many ships she and Typhan had managed to destroy, she proudly reported that they'd decimated a good 14 ships. This immediately earned her respect from the soldiers. She didn't mention that most of them were rather small and most likely used for smuggling and black market trading rather than fighting.

While the sailors went about loading the lost treasure onto the ship, Emily Jane introduced her father to Typhan, telling him all about what the constellation had done for her. Kozmotis thanked him for everything multiple times and Typhan accepted, though the sincerity from the old constellation may have been false. He would miss the little storm bringer. He really had been hoping that she would have been able to stay with him. Neither of the Pitchiners noticed his underlying begrudgement, they were simply too caught up in their reunion to tell.

Her rag tag camp site was taken apart as well. All of the charts, books, and clothing bundled up and taken down to the hold with the rest. The food she had stored as sorted through, the non perishables going to the stores and everything else being left for the star fish to eat. Once everything was loaded onto the ship, a rope was tied to her schooner so that they could take it with them. Emily looked around her pale little moon, at the star fish she'd grown so close to, and at the shape of Typhan who had done so much for her. She had no desire to ever see the place again, but, to at least some small degree, she would miss the friends she'd found here.

"Good bye Typhan." She said at last now that almost everything was ready to go. All the goods had been taken to the ship and the crew had returned to prepare to leave. All that was missing was her father, who was waiting for her beside the gang plank, and the girl herself, standing in the same spot she'd woken that morning. She knew what this change meant. That there would be no more evenings spent with the star fish and no more sailing on Typhan's friendly winds. It was all coming to an end. "I'll miss you."

It was a moment before the giant's loud whispering voice shook the air. "I wish you safe travel and a happy life, Emily. I shall miss you as well." Being so old, Typhan was good at hiding his emotions but a thread of sorrow laced the words. He would indeed miss her, very very much. With the final good bye said, Emily Jane turned to leave the moon for good.

On the ship, things were cheery and quite a change from the sobering mood on the moon. Her father led her across deck, shouting orders as he went. The crew mates grinned at her as she walked past, and those she hadn't already met called out greetings. Today it would seem that she was the main attraction aboard the ship, despite her father's voice trying to call their attention. To each one she passed, she smiled and gave a wave, successfully turning a few of the battle worn soldiers into puddles. She never left her father's side though, holding on tightly to his hand. Together, they made their way onto the quarter deck beside the helmsman that had received her telescope when the star fish approached the boat. He didn't move from his post but rather gave her a glance and a warm smile. From their spot, they could see the entire deck and all the crew scurrying around to do their job.

"And once we're on our way, we can have a small celebration for my daughter!" Her father bellowed over the deck. This warranted another cheer from the crew. Kozmotis was a good general but rarely were they allowed to celebrate anything. Well, officially at least. For the general himself to announce the plans was truly a treat. And this was most definitely an event worth celebrating. Emily laughed at the soldier's response, a sweet wonderful sound that earned a wide smile from her father. He had so missed that sound over the past year.

The offer of reward worked wonders on the crew and soon the ship was back on coarse for home. Beneath the deck, festivities erupted. The good beer was brought out and the cook whipped up food, food, and more food. Songs and laughter rang through the hall and good cheer burst from every corner of the room. Many of the men had been there when the General lost his wife and thought to have lost his daughter as well. Most had gotten to know both and mourned for the loss. They'd also seen how it had changed Kozmotis. Now that Emily was back though, things would be better. They might not get the General they knew back but at least one piece had returned. That was enough to keep their attitudes up all night, even though the battle they were returning from had been a battle lost. Yet, for all the activity and festivities the little girl had created, neither her nor her father were among the crew as they celebrated. Rather, they had retired to the captains quarters together.

The two sat in a calm silence in her father's room, nothing but a few candles lighting the dark area. For the first few hours, while the crew had begun their own party, the two had sat and shared their stories about what had happened during that lost year. Emily Jane prattled on about how she never stopped looking for the flag ship, or any ship from the army. About how she'd sent the star fish out looking for any sign of them and how she'd memorized the star charts and would try to guess where he was and how soon that he would get there. She talked about how she would hide when she spotted a Dream Pirate ship and would wait until they were close before telling Typhan to blast them. She even told him how Typhan had been teaching her how to command the celestial winds. When she shared that bit of news, Kozmotis told her that she must never mention that to anyone else nor should she use it unless she absolutely had to. It was dangerous for anyone other than a constellation to know how to summon storms. He feared what they would do if they discovered that Emily Jane knew. He didn't explain why it was bad or why she shouldn't use them, but she agreed all the same. Kozmotis, meanwhile, told of what he thought had happened. How he though that she had died with her mother. How he'd buried himself in his work since then. He even admitted to having killed the Dream Pirates responsible. To that, all she said was 'Good.' a response that may have been more disturbing if he didn't share the same sentiment. But most of all, they talked about how they missed each other and how things would be better now.

The conversation had died since then and now Emily Jane was asleep in her father's lap. It had been a big day for the both of them. Kozmotis watched her, occasionally petting her hair. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in a hug and never ever let go. He wasn't going to let anything take her away from him, not again. A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in." He said quietly. The helmsman from earlier opened the door and leaned on the door frame. It was easier since Kozmotis's desk was situated right next to the door.

"She's gotten bigger."

"Heh. Heavier too."

"Not surprising. She was eating better than us for the last year." The silence returned. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, rather it was necessary. A quiet moment to take in the little girl they once thought dead now nestled against her father's chest.

"What are you going to do now, Koz?"

"I don't know. Take leave for a few months. Call my mother. She can take care of her when I have to go back. It finally gives me an excuse to clean up that rat hole of a guest room I have." He said with a small chuckle.

The brown haired man cracked a smile as well. "Well, I'm glad you got her back. We all are, in case you hadn't noticed." He was referring to the muffled singing that could be heard all the way up here. They'd just burst out into a new drinking song and Koz was grateful that Emily wasn't awake to hear it. "And if you need any help or anything, just let us know."

Koz quirked an eyebrow at his first mate. "Are you going to hug me next? Or can I skip that part?"

"Oh shut up you ass. Last time I try to be nice to you!"

"Ha! When have you ever been nice?" Emily Jane shifted in her sleep, mumbling something about fish. The dark haired soldier put a finger to his lips and gave an over exaggerated 'shh'. The General just shook his fist at him in response. He was lucky that Emily was in his lap, otherwise he'd have a new bruise. "Get outta here, Kaiser." He added quietly.

"Don't want to hang out with a dried up old grump anyways." He shot back before closing the door behind him and belting out the drinking song all the way down to the others.

 

Emily Jane woke to a sharp bump. What was that? Had one of the star fish run into her tent again? And why was her tent so dark anyways? She sat up and peered around her. She was in the middle of a large, well-dressed bed, wearing the same clothes from yesterday, and completely alone. Where was she? Where was Typhan? Had something happened while she was asleep? She vaulted off the bed, ripped out of the room, and onto the main deck. The sunlight blinded her for a moment, forcing her to cover her eyes against it's glare. Once her eyes adjusted though, she remembered just where she was. The crew of her father's flag ship moved about the ship as they did everyday, tying and untying ropes, scrubbing the deck, and a few trying very hard not to get sea sick from hangovers courtesy of last night's festivities. Her father stood right in the middle of it in his decorated uniform. His casual clothes were now replaced with a double-breasted, dark blue over coat and crisp dark blue pants with a line of gold down the outside crease. It really wasn't a dream. Without another thought, she launched herself at her father, plowing into his legs with enough force to make him stumble.

"Emily what-" He looked down to see the girl clinging to him for dear life, her face buried in the cloth. She jerked her to look at him and he picked her up without question. "Would you like to tell me when you decide to do that? One of these days I'm going to trip and fall right on top of you."

She pursed her lips as though thinking about it for a moment before answering, "No."

Koz huffed at her, as though offended by her answer. "Well fine then. Don't blame me when I accidentally crush you!" He squeezed her tight in a hug, resulting in wild girlish laughter and Emily squirming like a fish to get away. At last, he released her and she darted behind the nearest object, which happened to be Kaiser.

"Ah! Is Captain Pitch being mean to you?" He asked, crouching down to Emily Jane's level. She nodded her head, still giggly and smiling. Koz shot him a warning glare, which he promptly ignored. "Well next time, you should hit him in the nose."

"Kaiser."

"Or even better, kick him in his gr-"

"Kaiser!"

"Yes sir?" He looked up at the General like he was some kind of innocent angel.

"Get back to work."

"Sir, yes, sir." He chirped before walking off with an enormous smirk on his face. Kozmotis could only shake his head at his first mate's shenanigans. Emily, meanwhile, thought that they were hysterical.

"Anyways..." He motioned for Emily Jane to come with him, something she did so dutifully. She held onto his hand as he led them across the deck towards the bow. While they walked, she tried to take in everything going on around her. She hadn't been focusing much before, it was hard to look past the hustle and bustle of the ship, but something gold was stretching out in the darkness of space. At the bow, her father picked her up once more so she could easily see just what that gold was. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Welcome to Shedir."

The planet before her was bright shining gold with masses of turquoise breaking up the yellow. Where the shadow fell across the planet, bright lights lined coast lines and big cities. Rings and rings of glittering space sand surrounded the planet like it was a dancer and the sand was it's skirt flaring out as it twirled. Dots of golds, blues, reds, and whites moved about the rock like tiny gnats, undoubtable massive cruise ships, explorers, traders, and battle ships of the Golden Army. Shedir was the capitol of the Golden Age and it looked every bit the part. When her father went back to his duties, Emily climbed onto the railing, holding tight to a rope as she leaned out to watch the planet come closer. As they neared, they temporarily skimmed across the rings of sand, sending up a wave of the stuff. It glittered like crystals yet glowed blue like water and felt like running your hand quickly along felt. The colors shifted from cerulean to deep indigo across the rings and just beneath the shifting grains, Emily could see the sleek silver shapes of star fingerlings and astroid sculpins. She even spotted the small, lazily swirling shape of a comet octopus! She waved excitedly at it only for it to hid it's glowing blue body beneath the disguise. She lost track of it within a few minutes, but that didn't matter. There were plenty of other distractions for her. She could have stayed there, just watching the rings for hours, had her father not yelled at her.

"Emily! Get back! We're entering the atmosphere!" He called and she jumped off the rail, though not as far back as her father wanted her. Before he managed to get close enough to drag her away, a wall of fire burst up from the bow. The colors were such a stark contrast from the blues of the sand. She just stared at it, watching the shift in colors from red to orange to yellow. When the light became too much, she closed her eyes, opened her arms and let the heat from the fire wash over her. It was hot. Almost too hot. But that wasn't enough to make her move. She was enjoying it too much. A laugh bubbled up from her, loud and full of happiness. She'd never been far enough out to actually have to re-enter the atmosphere. It was amazing! Though, as quick as the fire had erupted, it disappeared. Emily found her spot on the railing burning hot. Around her, the crew went to work sloshing water over the edges of the boat to cool it off. So instead, Emily Jane turned and darted back towards her father.

The General moved to greet her, only to get completely bypassed by the little girl, something that earned a loud laugh from Kaiser. Koz gave him a good punch in the arm for that. Emily shot up the main mast like a monkey up a tree until she reached the highest crows nest. From here, she could see everything. Her father called to her a few times, trying to get her to come down, but the effort was lost on her and he quickly gave up. For everything Emily Jane was, she was a wild spirit, and she was going to stay up here as long as she wanted. More and more ships came into view, many heading in the same direction as they were. To each new one she saw, she waved in greeting, often times getting a wave in return. She watched the shapes slowly coming into focus on the planet beneath her, the curves of the golden land becoming more refined. At the rate they were headed, they would be going to the biggest city on the planet. They passed through the mesosphere, the stratosphere, and, at last, entered the troposphere. They passed through a layer of clouds, covering Emily in a cold chilly mist and turning the world into a fuzzy film of grey. When they left it, Emily was laughing and giggling loud enough for the crew to hear below her. And, at last, she could see the city. Everything was gold. Golden towers and spires shot from the ground like trees, slowly growing taller the closer they got to the edge of the city. People walked in masses on the streets below, like ants on obediently marching the find food for the colony. One edge of the city met turquoise water and continued anyways as bustling docks with ships constantly coming and going. The greatest attraction though was at the center of the city. A huge domed building with spires like frosting on cupcakes stretched out across the land, disrupting the vertical design of the rest of the city. It was different and spoke of an age older than the Golden Age itself. She squinted into the glare coming off of it's great dome. Was that someone... flying around the spires of the building? She had no time to wonder about it. A flock of bright blue and silver birds flew over the ship, coming so close to her that she could hear the beat of wings and feel the air rustle around her. She turned to watch them fly away. She'd never seen birds like that. They were beautiful. Once again, her father called for her to come down. This time she did as he asked and climbed down as easily as she had climbed up.

"Emily, we'll be docking soon." He told her as her feet touched the deck again. "I have to take care of some business but after that we can head home. Can you behave yourself until then? And maybe comb your hair in the meantime? You look like you had a sleep over with a seagull." The comparison brought giggle to the already excited girl.

"Sure Daddy!" She chirped happily before darting back into her father's quarters for a hairbrush. Brushing her hair was always an ordeal and by the time she returned from the task, the ship had already pulled into a dock and was getting ready to let down the gangplank. She found herself a nice spot on the railing of the quarter deck where she was able to watch what was happening on the ship as well as on the docks. The air was sharp and salty. It was nice to smell a real sea again. The docks of the planet were busy and covered up with creatures of all sorts. Dull colored officers argued with the brightly feathered bird people from Clastea and some kind of heavily armored bug people laughed loudly as they made their way across the walkway. Tall, thin women with hair the color of molten silver chatted eagerly with a man who seemed to have quills sprouting out of his back. More species than she could count crawled between the ships. She even thought she saw a pooka among them, furiously scribbling notes into an egg shaped note book! Down on the dock where their ship had come in stood a short round man with a shoved up nose and what looked like a woman in a uniform similar to her father's. The woman, however, wore a hood over her head and had a blue and white badge on one arm. From where she sat, Kozmotis looked rather upset about them being there. Leaping off of the railing, she went to try and comfort her father.

"I hate when they meet us." He was saying when she came up behind him. Kaiser was standing next to him so neither of them knew of her presence just yet. "It's like they want us to mess up or something."

"I wouldn't be surprised if they did. The Lunanoffs piss on them so they piss on us. That's my guess at least." Kaiser reasoned. Emily grabbed onto her father's hand without warning him that she was there. That was enough to pull the conversation from whatever it had been. A look passed over the first mate's face that said quiet plainly, 'Oh shit did she hear me?' If she did, Emily didn't let on about it.

"Who are they?" She asked instead.

"No one, sweetie. Just some people who don't like me very well." Her father sighed, giving the two below an antagonized look.

Emily just shrugged. "Their loss."

Kozmotis shared a glance with his friend. "Emily Jane, could you stay up here while I deal with them? Kaiser here will keep you company and it won't take me long at all."

"Okay, Daddy." She said before darting back to her little spot on the railing. She could watch what was going on from there. Once the gangplank was down, the General walked off the ship as though he were walking to his own execution.

"'Afternoon, General." The little man called as he came near. "Good to see you haven't died yet."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Kazakov. Madame Tu'Ver." He gave the hooded woman a nod as he said her name and she nodded in return. The woman had always creeped Koz out. She was a Yazunian and, as such, had tentacles growing out of her skull rather than hair. Though, under most circumstances, one wouldn't know that as she kept them under an always wet head wrap. That wasn't what was disturbing about her though. It was her pale eyes. They seemed to have no pupil nor iris. He could never tell where she was looking and that disturbed him greatly. He was just glad that she was on the same side. Supposedly.

"General Pitchiner." She began. Which was odd. Usually she just silently followed Mr. Kazakov around like a creepy purple shadow. "May I ask whom that girl is?" The general turned to see Emily Jane laughing at something Kaiser had just said. He was going to have to find out what it was later. He didn't trust that man not to corrupt his little girl.

"That would be my daughter, ma'am."

"What? I thought your daughter was dead!" Mr. Kazakov seemed as though he'd seen a ghost. In a way he had but he never seemed very interested in the general's personal matters.

"Yes. We found her stranded on a moon under Typhan's protection. I'm just glad we found her unharmed."

"Typhan? But he's so old!"

"Yes, sir. As am I. I intend to take a few months off to spend time with my daughter by the way." Koz gave the stout little man a tight smile. He knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Of course. After you've unloaded the ship, cataloged any remaining cargo, and turned in your report to my office."

"Yes, s-"

"Oh! And you'll need to file the paperwork for your leave time as well."

He pinched his wrist behind his back. It's for Emily Jane. It's for Emily Jane. It's for Emily Jane. "Yes, sir. Now, if you don't mind, I have a ship to unload, as you've so kindly reminded me. Good day Mr. Kazakov. Madame Tu'Ver." And with that, he turned on his heels and left.


	3. Chapter 3

Trying to get home was as big an ordeal as Kozmotis expected. With the new cargo from Emily's moon, they had to sort everything once again and log each individual piece. His men worked at it quickly enough but with everything they had, it took several hours to finish. Fortunately, there was enough going on that entertaining a little girl wasn't difficult. Emily watched the different species on their daily routines, constantly pointing to this one or another and asking what they were. She asked whoever was nearby, assaulting them with as many questions as she could think up. The sailors were happy to answer but it was slowing them down. Eventually, Kaiser was appointed to watch over her while they unloaded. Emily Jane had already taken a liking to him and Koz trusted him with his little girl's life, just not her mind. He was going to have to question her on what his first mate had said and done whenever they finally got home. The two spent a good solid hour wandering up and down the docks, inspecting what vendors had out to sale, be it jewelry, weapons, or just fish. On occasion, Emily would disappear into the crowd only to show up again after nearly giving Kaiser a heart attack. It was very possible she did it for the fun of watching the grown man freak out. After that, it got harder to entertain the girl. She'd gone as far as her father would let her and fewer and fewer species were grabbing her attention. Kaiser tried to pass the time by telling her stories about her father and all the stupid things he'd done but that only lasted so long. Eventually, they found some good entertainment as a group of traveling acrobats set up a quick show not far from where the ship was docked. The seven performers were a feline species know as Sozons, each in brightly colored clothes and golden jewelry. Emily stole their hearts within the first few minutes and they went as far as to pull her into the show at one point where she pulled off a complete, if not a little sloppy, cartwheel. By the time her father arrived, she was beside herself with laughter and almost totally convinced that she wanted to be an acrobat when she got older. When her father began to pull her away, the leader of the troop came spinning towards them and dipped into an unnaturally low bow. He gave the girl a good natured kiss on the hand and thanked her for watching them before bending over backwards and returning to the rest of the show. Kozmotis practically had to drag his daughter along as she waved at them wildly. 

Emily Jane was greeted with the sight (and smell) of tired men when they returned to their place among the other ships. Every single item had been unloaded, cataloged, sorted, and reloaded onto transport vehicles. With all that done, there was nothing left to do but send in the report and fill out the paperwork to get the few month's leave Koz wanted. In truth, the paperwork was nothing more than a formality. As the High Lord General of the Golden Army, he really only had to put up a notice if he wanted to go on leave. It was the politician who liked to watch him dance, Mr. Kazakov in particular. While he might normally argue with the politician, or just flat out ignore him, he didn't want to risk the possibility of the man shoving his piggish nose into it and ruining things now that he'd finally gotten his daughter back. That was the only reason he was dealing with this stupidity. 

"Alright sweetie," Koz said, heading towards a long black vehicle that hovered roughly a foot off the ground, "I have to go to my office real quick and then we can head home. Alright? It'll be faster if you stay here until I come back."

Emily gave him a long stare as they walked along. "But I want to go. Please Daddy? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeee-" she took a deep breath, "eeeeeeaaasssssssssssss-"

"Alright, alright." He chuckled. "But it's not going to be very interesting." 

As it happened, Kozmotis was wrong. As soon as they left the docks, Emily did her best to become one with the window. The shacks and boat houses were soon replaced with ever-growing buildings of gold. The buildings swirled into the skies, often laced with soft creamy colors or dark bold blues. Many of the windows had balconies which were dotted with bright flowers and clinging vines. For a time, the streets were fairly empty, but as they came closer to the center of the city, the glowing roadways came to life again. The girl was all over the place, climbing across the red leather seats of the vehicle, trying to see everything at once. Her father just laughed at her, doing his best to stay out of her way. After getting stepped on several times, he flipped a switch and the windows and roof seemed to disappear, giving a full view of everything around them and the twirling towers that touched the clouds. Even more species populated the streets. Short frog-like people that wore close to nothing, tall, pale, graceful creatures with billowing robes and headdresses, just no hair to go with it. Insectoids with tiny feet and huge gossamer wings, and wide fuzzy masses that skimmed across the ground with no legs at all. Between the crowds, she could see the shops that lined the streets. They sold the most amazing things. Clothes for any and every species, dishes, bobbles, books, instruments, weapons, things she couldn't even name, and so much more! They passed groups of street performers who played loud, bombastic music, and others who performed much like what the group at the docks had. Others still used telepathy to perform amazing tricks while others simply dressed in fantastical clothes and pretended to be statues (a pretty lazy method if you asked her). Emily couldn't even begin to ask questions, there were simply too many, so she simply sat there with a wondrous grin, taking in everything she could. The car turned a corner and the streets opened up around them, revealing the capitol building itself. The structure was enormous, the biggest she'd ever seen, even bigger than their home. The walls were the color of warm cream and topped with golden domes. The biggest dome of them all was plated with rainbow crystal, and shone like an enormous diamond. The mammoth building was surrounded by a huge garden. Tall skinny trees with soft pink leaves and pure white bark lined a path straight towards the huge black doors that was the entrance. A large fountain sat in the middle of the garden, colossal pearl statues each holding a staff circling it as a miniature moon rained turquoise water. Emily Jane's face was practically smashed against the window as they made their way past it. High, high up above the garden, around one of the taller towers, something darted through the air near the dome. It was incredibly quick and shone even in the bright sunlight and harsh glare from the metal, but, if she was right, it was a boy. She spotted him just as another large building hid the capitol from her view. A quick stop to get in, and they were at her father's work, the Military Command Center. 

It wasn't ornate like that capitol was, it was rather bland and boring actually, but nearly as large as the other and another staff-holding statue guarded the entrance. Koz nearly had to hold Emily to keep her from darting off to who knows where in her excitement. Inside was as plain as the outside, almost worse even. The walls were a dark dusty blue, and curved slightly as the entire thing was round. There was nothing on the walls save some seemingly random white dots and a single tapestry with the Golden Army's emblem sewn on, five golden stars behind a pure white crescent moon on a field of royal blue. Despite the lack of decoration, there was no lack of intriguing things to look at. Many species wandered through the wide hallways, each in uniforms similar to her father's. Her presence was a event in and of itself. It was very strange for a little girl to be wandering around the military head courters, regardless of who she was with. Nevermind that she was rather obviously the General's lost daughter, which only made things more shocking. On several occasions Emily caught people staring at her, which she returned most readily with her own green gaze. Koz often times had to tear her away from her staring match so not to loose her, or so she didn't accidentally offend one of his officers. To many of the species under his command, direct eye contact was a challenge that couldn't be ignored. Even if it was coming from a little girl. 

The two slowly made their way deeper and deeper into the building until they came across a small tidy office room. Whoever worked there was currently out, but their secretary waited in front at a small table. The woman working there was tapping away at a keyboard when they arrived. When the General's shadow loomed over her, she was more than willing to stop her work to help him. Emily was only just taller than the counter. The woman had dark skin, purple or blue was wasn't sure, with deep orange designs whirling across her skin. Instead of hair, fins twisted up and ridged her head in a way that resembled a seashell. She wore a professional looking dress same color as her designs and an expecting smirk. "Here to drop off your report, General?" This was obviously a regular thing.

"Just like always." Koz said, handing her a pile of papers. She immediately began flipping through them, giving each page a quick scan.

"I'm not going to find any extra notes or language that's 'beneath someone of your ranking', am I?" 

"Of course not. I'd never do that." She looked at the man as though he were a paint covered five year old claiming that that beautiful mural on the wall was not his work. Emily meanwhile, had grown bored with the conversation and wandered back to the hallway, undoubtable to study some species in the most indiscreet way possible. Once the secretary was satisfied, she placed the stack to one side before turning her black gaze back on the general.

"I'll make sure he gets it. I would suggest you hurry. Your little companion seems to have wandered off without you. You might get lost without her." That got him moving again. 

"Yes. Thank you." He replied, a bit too distracted with his once again missing daughter. "Hopefully she hasn't gotten herself into too much trouble...." He muttered on his way out. Kozmotis found his daughter in a stare down with a large wolf-like alien. Not good. When she wouldn't just come when he grabbed her hand, he swept her up and flung her over his shoulder, letting her struggle and giggle as loud as she pleased and just generally disrupt the workers in this hall. Not that he cared. He didn't like most of them anyways. 

At last they made it to his office. Of all of them, Koz's was by far the nicest and most ornate. A large dark desk sat in the middle with tall bookshelves on either side and other chairs leaning against the walls between the windows. With red and gold striped wall paper, it was the brightest room they'd been in. While the General gathered and filled out his paperwork, Emily made a game of jumping on the furniture. At least until they received a visitor. 

The knock came just as Koz was starting on the paperwork. He wanted to get out as soon as possible but let whoever it was in anyways. The man that came in was interesting to say the least. He had pale red skin with darker marking around his eyes. A thin membrane floated down and away from his head. He was much too thin and only wore the top part of his uniform. The bottom was a skirt the same color as his skin. Dark stripes ribboned down the side and long white tendrils of fabric poked out from underneath. The entire thing floated around him like he was wading through water. Emily had seen his species before on the streets, but it had been a woman with a longer blue skirt similar to his. It must have been a cultural thing. That didn't stop her from wanting to touch it though. It just looked so pretty. 

"It's nice to see you're back." He said, almost lazily. The man was carrying something in his hands, but Emily couldn't get a good look at it. "I know how you like to schedule your trips back to back so I'm glad I caught you. This came for you earlier today." The man held out a thin black box to her father. 

"Thank you, Runali. Who sent it?" Her father asked, turning it over in his hands. 

"Oh, just some brightly colored birds. It's probably nothing but them whining about between stuffing their beaks." He gave a thin smile. "Though, might I suggest you open it at home? Maybe with a bottle of teele?" 

"I have a feeling it's going to be stronger than teele." And with that, Koz shoved the box into one of is many pockets. Runali didn't leave, rather he turned a bit and looked over the General's shoulder to see just what he was doing. "You want to stop that?"

The man ignored Koz's warning. "Oh my. Is Lord Kozmotis Pitchiner actually asking for leave? Why isn't that rare!" 

"Coronal Runali..."

"And leaving for three months as well. Why, you haven't asked for that much time since before she died." He whipped around and pointed a long finger at Emily Jane who quickly hid her hands behind her back. She wasn't trying to touch some of the floating fabric. Most definitely not. "Don't touch those, dear. It's not a skirt." Emily backed away from him at that. If it wasn't a skirt then what in the heck was it?

"Coronal Runali is there anything else you need?" He didn't give the other man a chance to answer. "No? Good. Take this to Mrs. Capri." The coronal gave a salute before leaving, that same thin smile on his face. When he was good and gone, Koz let out a low sigh. "They've filled my army with arrogant spiders, fat bird, and disrespectful weasels..." He muttered to himself. And he hadn't even been around to stop them, having been out on missions almost nonstop for the last year. There were going to be some changes around here. He glanced up at his little girl who was staring at him with big eyes. But not until he got back. "Come on, Emily. Let's get out of here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will be picking up very soon.


End file.
